One night in Daytona (One Night Stands #1) (4 page)

“You’re back early, pumpkin.  I take it your date with Billy didn’t go so well.”

“No, Pop, he’s not my type.  He’s nice and all but...no.”

“I could have told you that.  He’s a mamma’s boy, not a manly man.  You need someone with a backbone, someone who has enough passion to match yours.”

“Thanks, Pops,” she sniffed, fighting back the tears.

“Let it out, pumpkin,” he murmured as he wrapped his arms around Cassie. Being in her pop’s embrace, Cassie felt like she was once again the little girl who cried every night when she got home from school.  She’d had a rough childhood, being the object of incessant teasing and bullying.  The tears flowed freely as she realised the depth of her feelings for Jos meant they weren’t going to disappear any time soon.  Cassie wanted to be happy.  She wanted to share the love she had bottled up that only one person had found the key to.  But Jos didn’t feel the same way.  She was angry and hurt, disappointed that she couldn’t just feel what their tryst had been for him – a way to blow off steam after a stressful day.  They’d both needed the human connection that night, to feel the warmth and comfort that only being intimate on that level could bring.  Jos had chased her demons away, making her forget the crushing defeat that losing the story had brought upon her, but she came crashing back to reality in the days and weeks that followed.  At first, she thought he was abiding by the three-day rule, the ridiculous notion that a guy would sound too needy if he contacted their date before three days were up.  She soon realised her feelings were one-sided and he wasn’t going to call her.

Cassie wiped the tears falling down her face with the tissue her pops passed her, but didn’t let him go.

“Pumpkin, you want to talk about it?”

“His name is Jos.  We met in Florida when I did that horrible story.  I thought I had a connection with him.  You know?  Something real.  But apparently not.  He never called me, never emailed me.  Nothing.  And I’m so stupid, I’m not over him.  He’s trampled all over my heart and I can’t forget him.  I was with Billy tonight and I was wondering what Jos was doin’.  Whether he was out on a shitty date, thinking about me or whether he’d moved on.”

“Oh, Cassie, believe me, if he’s forgotten you, if he’s over you, he’s not your man.  I know it hurts and it doesn’t help me telling you this, but the man that falls in love with you will never let you go, will never forget you.  Even if he spent only one night in your arms, which I don’t want to know about,” Cassie’s pops chuckled wryly, “he’d regret letting you walk away for the rest of his life if he didn’t try to stop you.”

“So what should I do?  How do I get over him?”

“Move on with your life.  You’ve been hiding here.  Get back to journalism.  It’s what you love.  Don’t live in this Podunk town for the rest of your life. Don’t marry a boy like Billy. Don’t settle for second best.  Get out there and live a little.  Love will find you, and when it does, it will be beautiful.  But until then, enjoy life; it’s the only one you’ve got.”

“Are you kicking me out?” Cassie smiled.

“If it means you’ll do what you love, yes.”

“Hard ass,” she said nestling back into the comfort of her pop’s arms. 

C H A P T E R   F I V E

S I X   M O N T H S   A F T E R   C A S S I E

“I got a meetin’ with my agent.  You gotta get up and get dressed,” Jos said to the leggy blonde stretched out on his bed.

“I can wait here until you get back.  We can do lunch, or maybe drinks, dinner, anything else that takes your fancy.” She smiled seductively.  Jos wasn’t interested.  His cock had already had a sample, and while she was a wild ride, he was over it.  Over the meaningless sex, over the drinking, over the boredom, over the complete lack of direction his life had taken on since that ol’ bastard, Allbright, had fired his ass for assaulting him.  Jos hadn’t had other offers from teams wanting to take him up early in the season, but now it was progressing, he was excited about this call from Marcus.  He was betting that an offer had come in for him to race for another team.  He couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel again.  Being out of the sport he loved was damn near killin’ him.  It’s why he’d let himself spiral into this pit of drunken nights, sex with anything that breathed and uncomfortable morning goodbyes on the odd occasion he made the mistake of taking them back to his place.  He should know by now, these bimbos never wanted to leave when they got here. 

“No, you can’t wait here.  I’m leavin’ and you need to go, too.  I won’t be callin’ and we won’t be datin’.  I made it clear last night that this was a one-time thing.”

“You bastard,” Legs snapped, reacting to his curt dismissal of her.  He didn’t even remember her name.  Not surprising considering he’d lost count of the number of woman he’d bedded this month. 

Jos knew she’d let herself out when she refused to let him call her a cab.  They always did when he was a prick.  He hated being a bastard, but the man he’d been six months ago had changed.  If he was honest with himself, it wasn’t because his career was in a shit pile. 

It was because of Cassie. 

He’d given her his heart that one night they had together and she’d stomped on it.  He’d begged her to stay, but she’d shot him down.  Granted, it probably wasn’t the right time to ask when he was buried deep inside her, but the only break they’d taken the whole night was when they’d hopped in the tub together and he’d fed her dinner.  She left without even leaving her number.  He was crushed when he realised he had none of her information, not even her last name.  He had no way of contacting her.  He’d called every television and radio station, newspaper, magazine, and media relations company in Chicago.  They all said the same thing – there’s no Cassie that works in the newsroom.  Those that did have a Cassie working for them wouldn’t transfer him through in case he was some creeper.  Without her last name and with so little to go off, he did sound like one, but what could he do?  He didn’t want to give up on her; he didn’t want to say goodbye.  Ever since she’d walked out of his life, he was adrift, getting blown around like a fallen autumn leaf. 

“Marcus, give me the good news.  What team am I racing for next season?” Jos said expectantly as he shook his agent’s hand and made his way over to the armchairs in Marcus’ twentieth floor office.

“Well, I have good news and bad news.”

“Figured that when I came in and you weren’t dancin’ a Texas two-step on the table.  Spit it out.” 

“Bad news is that you won’t be looking at my pretty face in person in a few weeks’ time.  We did it, buddy.  We got you a gig with McFarlane Racing.”

“Holy hot damn!” Jos jumped up to give Marcus a handshake, which turned into one of those nil-body contact, one armed hugs.  “McFarlane Racing is one of the big boys.  Regular top five finishes in the last few years.  Which one of Stone or Bourne is finishing up?  I haven’t even heard scuttlebutt about one of them retiring or moving teams.”

“Stone made the decision overnight.  He’s got triplets on the way, so he wants to spend more time with his family.  And he was only a year away from finishing anyway.”

“Triplets?  Lucky guy,” Jos said, thinking about how much work his niece was.  It would be terrifying to have three of them. 

Marcus laughed. “That was exactly the look on his face when he told me.  He and his wife are equal parts thrilled and terrified.  In all seriousness though, McFarlane is a good team.  They’ll treat you good and there are worse places to be in the world than Daytona Beach, even though it is a country mile away from your folks.  How is your mom’s health by the way?”

“So-so.  She has her good days, but they’re getting fewer and fewer.  Doc said the cancer’s terminal now, so it’s a waitin’ game.” The heaviness in Jos’ heart weighed in on him too often now.  Losing Cassie and then getting his mom’s diagnosis were two of the hardest things he’d been through.

“Sorry to hear that, Jos.”

“Thanks, buddy.  So what’s the plan?” Jos perked up. 

“A station in Daytona has the exclusive on this story and wants you there as a guest co-host for the morning.  You won’t have to do much, but it’s a great PR opportunity.”

“Sure, why not.” Jos shrugged.  “I’ll probably stink at it though.  I’m no good at that stuff.  When do I have to be there?”

“Thursday next week.  And don’t worry, you’ve got a voice made for radio; you’ll have every girl in Daytona melting for you.”

Jos gave Marcus a sad smile. “Whaddya do when there’s only one you want, but you’ve got no way of contacting her, and fuckin’ her outta your system isn’t working?”

“You still haven’t heard from her, huh?  That’s too bad, Jos. She must have been somethin’ special.”

Jos flicked the kickstand down on his Ducati and pulled his helmet off before surveying the parking lot.  It was make or break time for his guest slot this morning.  He wasn’t worried.  Much. 

He’d done quite a bit of promotional work with Allbright, but they had him on such a tight leash that most of his appearances had been pretty well scripted.  McFarlane Racing, on the other hand, was happy for him to be himself.  It was refreshing.  But every time he thought on this interview, he got nervous.  The thought of being stuck in an office, or better yet, a windowless studio, all morning sent chills down his spine.  And what if the reporter was like the what’s-her-face-bitch-features that his ex-teammate got stung by?  Urgh.  Maybe this sports reporter would be someone like Cassie.  But then again, Cassie had let him down too.  Maybe it was a mistake hoping for someone like her. 

Jos was about to pull his helmet back on when he thought better of it and strode toward the front entry of the building.  He needed to meet his commitments to Lady McFarlane, as the team owner was affectionately known.  She’d worked in her daddy’s company moving it from a small time tyre retailer to one of the biggest across the country.  They were represented in every state and had gone from strength to strength when Sissy had taken over the reins ten years ago. 

Jos couldn’t let memories of Cassie hold him back anymore.  He was going have to suck it up and move on.  There was no way she would still be single, and even if she was, it was impossible for Jos to get in contact with her.  Even with all the contacts his agents had in the media, they couldn’t track her down.  It’s like she’d disappeared from Chicago altogether.

Jos walked into the reception area to a gorgeous sight, one of the sexiest asses he’d seen in a long time.  Dressed in dark blue skinny-leg jeans, red pumps, and a red silky top, whoever the siren was, he’d instantly made it his mission of the day to get to know her better.  That is, if she didn’t break her neck at the angle she had to twist herself into as she tried to get to the Xerox machine jammed into what looked like an open broom cupboard behind another desk.  She was slamming drawers shut and juggling a ream of paper while balancing on heels that he couldn’t even imagine standing on.  When the door whooshed shut behind him, the owner of that sexy ass called out, “Be with y’all in a jiffy.”  More quietly she muttered, “Once I can get this piece of junk to stop jammin’.”

Jos’ steps stalled.  He knew that voice.  He would know it anywhere.  But it couldn’t be her.  It was impossible.  Wasn’t it? 

Cassie flipped her hair back over her shoulder to keep it out of the way of the mechanisms in the Xerox; her hair was getting too long and especially annoying when she had to keep clearing paper jams from the damn machine.  And now she had to do the tour of the office with some sports star who was doing some promotional work at the station.  She’d never know why Clifton couldn’t start his shift a few minutes early so he could be nice to the guy he was sitting in their studio with all morning.  She had a feel -good piece that she needed to finish today on top of helping out on reception and showing the guy around the office. 

Geez, working in a small station where everyone had to chip in and cover for each other when someone got sick or was on leave was frustrating at times, but she wouldn’t change things for the world.  Cassie loved her new job and it was all the sweeter that it was her second chance, redemption in a career that she thought she wasn’t cut out for.  Scott, her boss, was a great guy and the one responsible for moving her out of her parents’ house back into her own place, even if the town did hold bittersweet memories for her.  She’d always loved Florida, and working there all year round was a dream come true, but being in the same town she met Jos in, well, that was difficult. 

Kicking the paper drawer shut, Cassie hoped she wouldn’t jam the printer again on her next print run.  As she turned away from the infernal machine, she caught sight of the one man she thought she’d never see again.  Jos.  He still had that long, lean look, and the same shock of dark hair and the most amazing eyes she’d ever seen.  But instead of being heavy with sleep or with desire, like she remembered them the last time she saw those beautiful eyes, they were widened in shocked surprise.  “Angel,” he breathed.

“No.  No, don’t you dare call me that.  Don’t you dare call me anything,” she grated out, her anger and hurt at being so blatantly rejected by him overflowing.  She spun on her precarious heels and raced through the door into the back office before he could get another word in.  Barging into Scott’s office and slamming the door behind her, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  Cassie hoped she could get the turmoil in her gut under control long enough that she could ask what the heck was going on.

“Cassie, sweetheart, what’s wrong?  You’re as pale as a ghost,” Scott said, touching her elbow gently to steady her.

“What’s Jos Farris doin’ here?”

“He’s being interviewed today.  You’re showing him around the office.  Didn’t you read my memo?”

“Just skimmed it.  I... I can’t do it,” she panted, almost hyperventilating.  She felt completely overwhelmed, her misery over the last six months rearing its ugly head.  She’d listened to her daddy’s advice to start living again.  She’d tried so hard to move on.  Sure, she wasn’t ready to start seeing anyone yet, but she was working in a job she loved, she’d made some great friends around the office, and was starting to settle into her new life.  She’d need a heck of a lot more time to get over Jos before she could say she was over him completely.  And moving on to love someone else?  That was still a pipedream at this stage of her life.  But now, faced with him, their immediate connection, the need came roaring to life from his kiss and her love for him that had blossomed almost instantly, hit her again, flowing around her like quicksand and sucking her into the darkness.   

“Calm down, sweetheart.  Why’re y’all bothered?  Did he hurt you?”

“Yes.” She nodded as the tears streamed down her face.  Gosh darn it, she couldn’t do this.  She couldn’t stand to see him knowing that she’d fallen for him and he didn’t return her feelings.  She couldn’t go through the emotional upheaval.  She had already survived it once.  To do it again would break her. 

“That fucker,” her boss ground out between clenched teeth.  “Sit here, don’t come out until I come and get you.  I’m going to drag his sorry ass from the building after I beat the shit outta him.  How dare he hit you.”

“What?  Hit me?  No, he didn’t hurt me like that.  He... Gosh, it sounds stupid.  He never called me,” she said shaking her head.  “He used me to scratch an itch and I fell for him.”

“Oh, sweetheart, love sucks, doesn’t it?”  And her boss should know; married and divorced four times followed by custody battles with the mothers of each of his three kids, and the latest and most epic of fights over his fur baby, a beagle named Lou.  He patted Cassie’s back as she composed herself and offered her one of the private offices in the rear of the building while he showed Jos around.

Cassie managed to avoid Jos for most of the remainder of her shift until she caved to her need for caffeine and snuck into the kitchen to make a coffee.  Her mistake was not checking that Jos and Clifton were in the studio first.  Because as soon as she walked in, Jos moved from the counter he was casually leaning against to crowd her personal space behind her.  Turning toward him to tell him to leave her alone, Jos grabbed her wrists, pinning them behind her back with one hand.  His larger hand easily encircled her slim wrists while his other tugged gently on her hair, positioning her head in just the right place for him to steal a heated kiss from her.  Cassie wanted to resist him, tried her hardest not to react to him, but when his tongue caressed hers, she couldn’t help her small sigh into his mouth.  She couldn’t see Clifton’s reaction, but from the sharp cough he made, she knew he was stunned stupid.

“You can’t avoid me forever, angel.  I’ll wait for as long as it takes for you to open up to me.  And you will tell me what’s got you so angry at me.”  Letting her go, he turned and walked away from her, leaving Cassie reeling.  She sucked in a lungful of air and clutched her chest, hoping the burst of oxygen would get her heart started again.  Instead, all she got was the lingering scent of Jos’ cologne and his unique smell—clean, outdoorsy man—she was instantly taken back to their one night together.